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CHESTER, Pa. – Union manager John Hackworth admitted training was different this week without Jack McInerney, who was traded to Montreal last week.

But for the Union, who are once again coming off a disappointing draw, the change of pace might be exactly what they need.

Hackworth believes Andrew Wenger, the forward received in return for McInerney, can provide a boost. McInerney is more of a poacher than a true striker and wasn't fitting into the new 4-3-3 formation Hackworth adopted this season. Wenger, on the other hand, fits a little better into the center striker position.

"He can hold the ball up so he can play with his back to goal, he's got some good pace, he's good with both feet so he gets shots off with his left foot as much as he does his right, he's good in the air," Hackworth said of Wenger. "Those are all the kind of characteristics you want in a target No. 9."

Wenger could get his first minutes for the Union (1-1-3, 6 points) on Saturday against Real Salt Lake (2-0-3, 9 points) in front of his new home crowd – people who weren't too happy with him the last time he played in Chester. Wenger appeared briefly at PPL Park two weeks ago when he tackled Vincent Nogueira and was sent off with a red card after playing just 16 minutes.

Awkward locker room conversations aside, Wenger knows he can quickly become a good fit for Philadelphia. He has the ability to create chances for himself and others and, most importantly, he's not afraid to show that day in and day out in training.

"I think you still have to fight for your spot every day and prove what you can do on the field. That's what's most important," he said. "But I'm excited to hopefully get some more minutes and help the team win."

Whether it's Wenger or Conor Casey up front for Philadelphia this Saturday, both will likely get their share of minutes over the next week. After Real Salt Lake, the Union hit the road to face New York on Wednesday before hosting Houston next Saturday.

With three games in eight days, there should be plenty of opportunities to get players on the field and test the team's depth. The Union are starting the trip relatively healthy, with midfielders Danny Cruz and Fred Da Silva the only two unlikely to be available. Fabinho suffered a slight hamstring injury last weekend, but Hackworth doesn't expect it to limit him too much.

One player who won't be receiving any minutes is midfielder Keon Daniel, who came to a mutual agreement with the Union to have his contract terminated Tuesday. The 27-year-old, who regularly appears for Trinidad and Tobago's national team, started 20 of his 24 appearances in 2013 but was the odd man out after the Union's offseason acquisitions bolstered the talent at midfield.